


The Boy Who Lived and The Boy Who Barely Survived

by Hufflepuff_At_Hogwarts



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drarry, Fluff, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Post-War, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 11:17:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3894361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hufflepuff_At_Hogwarts/pseuds/Hufflepuff_At_Hogwarts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the war, Harry decides to spend the Christmas holidays at the castle. He isn't the only one. Draco Malfoy has changed, his once loud, obnoxious ego has gone silent. He no longer associates with anyone in the Slytherin house other than Pansy and Blaise. When the two run into each other over break, they see just how much the other has changed, and before they know, they find themselves falling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The lights in the library were dim, casting a subtle glow across the desks and bookshelves. Pale moonlight filtered in from the huge stain glass window at the front of the space. Other than Harry, the library was almost abandoned. Even the elderly bookkeeper had left. A few students sat at the desk, scribbling into pieces of parchment, their quills moving quickly.  
Before long, the last visitor had packed, leaving Harry to enjoy the quiet by himself.  
It wasn't often the boy could enjoy moments of silence to himself. Ever since the war and the start of his Eighth Year, he was constantly surrounded by a stream of adoring fans, or being forced to sit across the desk from McGonagall under the influence of veritaserum, talking about his thoughts and emotions and fears.  
When he wasn't doing either of those things, he was with Ron and Hermione, trying to make this year as normal as they could manage. They would spend the nights staying up late, playing wizard’s chess or studying. Sometimes they would even be as bold as to sneak out of the castle and take their brooms for a ride until the sun began to rise on the horizon.  
But even being around his two best friends seemed to be suffocating at times.  
They were constantly holding hands, or whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ear. While the war had inevitably torn Harry and Ginny apart, it had brought the other two impossibly closer.  
One of the doors creaked open at the far side of the library, the sound echoing throughout the cavernous space. Harry didn't think much of it as he moved the point of his quill across the paper, writing a letter to Mrs. Weasley explaining he would be staying at the castle for the Christmas holidays. He wanted to spend a little time without the chattiness of company.  
After another two hours had passed, Harry’s letter long finished and sent away with his new owl, Albus, his eyes began to droop, nearly impossible to keep open.  
Harry shook off the fatigue and shoved his things back into his bag and swung it over his shoulder, rising from his chair silently. The sun was already peeking outside, and today Hermione, Ron, and the rest of the school would be leaving for their holiday break. Harry, on the other hand, had an entire two weeks to himself.  
Not many students made the choice to stay over holidays. There were no classes, and definitely no activities to keep them occupied. Even the majority of the staff went home, leaving a few wondering Professors to look after the few who chose to remain.  
By the time Harry had woken up the following day, his friends had already left and a few presents sat nestled under the Gryffindor tree, all labeled with his name. He couldn't help the smile that found it's way onto his lips as he eyed them for a moment.  
He eventually found his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. A few Hufflepuffs were playing chess while a Ravenclaw or two took advantage of the break to squeeze in some extra hours of study. The Great Hall was just as festive as the common room had been. A massive tree stood proudly at the head of the room, decorated in shimmering ornaments and glistening light. A light snowfall dusted the room, and candles lined the tables.  
Harry made his way to the head of the Gryffindor table and started piling food onto his plate. He had skipped dinner the night before to get away from the excitement. As he shoved spoonful upon spoonful of food into his awaiting mouth, he could feel a gaze burning into his back. He turned slightly and locked eyes with the platinum haired Slytherin. Neither boy said a word.  
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it and turned back around.   
Draco could see he was tenser than before and was now picking at his food, not bothering to actually take another bite. Everything about Potter had shifted. It was as though he was waiting for Draco to take out his wand and curse him.   
“Potter.” Draco muttered, trying to gain the other boys attention.  
The Boy Who Lived turned back to face him, confusion over taking his features.   
“Merry Christmas.” The blonde murmured.  
Draco silently stood and nearly ran out of the hall, leaving Harry to watch his retreat in wonder.   
Things had changed for Draco Malfoy since the war, too. His father has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life imprisoned in Azkaban and his mother was under probation, as well as himself. The Dark Mark that once inked his skin in a pattern of black seemed to fade more and more with each day that passed. He barely found the energy or need to make rude pokes at the Weasel or Mud-Blood or even Potter himself. He blamed Potter for everything that had happened to his family, but at the same time, he owed him his life. Potter had the chance to send Draco to Azkaban, but didn't. Even after everything the boy had down to him over the years, he still made the decision to spare him.  
The blonde shook his head and wandered through the halls of the castle, no set destination in mind. He could feel the longing to go back to the Great Hall and demand Potter to explain why he did what he did.  
Every single day since the trial, Draco couldn't seem to shake the Golden Boy from his thoughts.  
The first day of their 8th year, he could tell just how much of a toll the war had taken on the brunette. He no longer seemed excited when a crowd surrounded him, asking to hear stories of his adventures and victories. He no longer seemed entirely pleased to be in the constant presence of the very two people he stuck by for the past seven year. He seemed broken.  
"Sod off, about it." Draco hissed to himself under his breath. "Potter isn't worth your time."  
He wandered around the castle for a while longer before retreating back to his own common room.  
The Christmas tree in the corner of the room was bare, no packages hiding beneath its limbs. Tomorrow morning, there would be nothing for him to open. No reason for him to celebrate. It would simply be another day to get through.  
There was one positive to being at the school during the holiday. He could walk the halls without the constant fear of being stung by a Hex or being spit at as he walked from class to class. What he had done was terrible, but he wouldn't change a thing.  
On the day his father announced he was scheduled to receive the Dark Mark and join the Dark Lord's army, he had seen the fear in his mother's eyes. He didn't make the choices he did for himself. Everything he did was for her. His life was nearly a grain of sand compared to his mother's. For her, he was willing to die.  
Draco's mind wandered away from him as he slumped into a chair near the crackling, green-flamed fire. Before long, his eyes slipped closed and his dreams of a lightning bolt scar carried him away.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry makes my heart skip a beat. If I owned the stories and characters myself, they would have been in love since their first meeting! I swear!

Draco couldn't manage to stay asleep the night before. The boy he had once claimed as his enemy plagued his dreams, filling him with strange and unwelcome thoughts and emotions. He didn't bother slicking his hair back like it usually was as he slowly made his way to breakfast, his blonde locks sticking up in random directions. He hadn't even changed out of his pajamas. The basketball shorts swayed against his legs with each step he took.  
The Great Hall was practically empty by the time he arrived. It was already well past 10 o'clock. Most of the people who planned on eating had already done so and moved on to start their day.  
He himself considered taking a trip to Hogsmead to get away from the castle walls and allow himself some fresh breath. He knew that the streets would be crowded and the pub filled with people celebrating the holiday, but it was worth the looks of disgust he was sure to get if it meant he could let the snow fall around him and breath something other than the stale air that filled the Slytherin common room.  
He wanted to get out. He NEEDED to get out.  
By the time he was dressed and ready to go, the wind whipping his robes around him, something stopped him dead in his tracks. Potter sat on the edge of the frozen fountain in the middle of the courtyard, looking at some kind of book. A soft glow surrounded him, the evidence he had used a warming spell to make it more tolerable to sit out in the snow for Merlin knows how long.  
Before he could change his mind, his feet carried him towards the sulking boy until he was looking over his shoulder. In between the pages of the book sat a wrinkles, and frayed photo of Severus and Albus with his parents. Severus looked as broody as ever, but when he turned to look at Lily Potter, his dull eyes seem to spark.  
"It's rude to breathe on someone's neck." Harry mumbles, turning to face the other boy. "What do you want, Malfoy?"  
"Why didn't you go with the Weasel for holiday? Trouble in paradise?" He blurted out, the jab sounding half-hearted even to his own ears.  
"I needed some space, not that it matters. Sometimes being in that house is a bit suffocating. They care about one another so bloody much. Sometimes...I just want to be alone." He shrugged as Draco sat on the other side of the concrete wall he was perched on, staring at him.  
"Why did you stay?" Harry's emerald eyes bore into Draco, sending a chill down his spine he knew couldn't be from the cold.   
"The Manor isn't the same anymore. I can help but picture what happened there. Staying there gives me nightm-" Draco realized how much he had let slip and awkwardly cleared his throat. "It just feels weird without my dad being there, and all."  
Harry nodded slowly. He wanted nothing more than to ask Draco all about the nightmares. He himself still had dreams of what happened to Hermione and the rest of his friends.  
"Can I ask you something?"   
"You just did." The corners of Draco's lips turned upwards as he spoke. "But I suppose you can ask another."  
"Why did you lie? To Voldemort? You knew it was me on the table yet you wouldn't admit that it was." Harry's voice was so low Draco almost couldn't make out his words. "Why did you save my life?"  
Draco looked taken aback, his face paler than usually and his eyes as wide as the moon. He scratched the back of his neck and refused to look Potter in the eye.  
"I...You would have done it for me." He shrugged. "I'm actually heading down to Hogsmead to get away from Hogwarts for a while. Fancy watching me get hexed by complete strangers and a butterbeer or two?"  
"Not sure about the cursing part, but I won't say no to a butterbeer."

**Author's Note:**

> It's a bit sad how much I ship Drarry. It's starting to affect my day-to-day life.


End file.
